This invention relates to novel [bis(diphenylphosphino)alkyl]bis-gold[I] derivatives which have tumor cell growth-inhibiting activity, pharmaceutical compositions containing such novel derivatives, and a method for treating tumor cells sensitive to such derivatives by administering tumor cell growth-inhibiting amounts of such novel derivatives to a host animal afflicted by such tumor cells.
Sutton et al., J. Med. Chem., 15 (11), 1095-98 (1972), disclose antiarthritic properties of certain trialkylmonophosphine gold thiosugar complexes. Mirabelli et al., Proc. Amer. Assn. Cancer Res., 25, 367 (1984) disclose that certain monophosphinegold (I) thiosugar complexes, including auranofin and related triethylphosphino gold(I) thiolates, had respectable activity in an intraperitoneal P388 leukemia tumor model. Simon et al., Cancer Res., 41, 94 (1981), and Mirabelli et al., Cancer Res., 45, 32 (1985), disclose that auranofin possesses significant antitumor effects in animals bearing P388 leukemia. Dumas et al., Japanese Patent Application No. 58,192,893, published Nov. 10, 1983, disclose the selenium analog of auranofin and other related triethylphosphino gold(I) selenolates, and report their utility as antiarthritic agents. Struck et al., J. Med. Chem., 9, 414-16 (1966), disclose cytotoxic activity of ethylenebis(diphenylphosphine). None of the aforementioned references disclose or suggest the [bis(diphenylphosphino)alkyl]bis-gold(I) thiosugar or selenosugar derivatives of the instant invention, or that they have tumor cell growth-inhibiting activity.